Technical Abstract:
Several world-wide health organizations such as WHO and FAO have pointed out the importance of increasing the intake of fruits and vegetables in the diet because they can provide essential bioactive compounds as well as health beneficial phytochemicals. Consumers are also increasingly more conscious about their health and are increasing the demand for more convenient, nutritious, fresh and price-reasonable products. Although thermal pasteurization has been the processing technology of choice to preserve fruit juices, the thermal process damages the nutritional and sensory properties of products. High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) technology can provide fresher fruit juices with longer shelf-lives while maintaining their health benefits. As a result of recent scientific studies demonstrating the benefits of HHP technology and the advances in the design of process equipment, high quality fruit juice and juice-based products treated by HHP are appearing in food markets around the world.